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Autoimmune disease

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Does this sound like it could be ankylosing spondylitis ?

6 replies

FeegleFrenzy · 23/12/2024 13:44

So I have had a terrible “bad back” for years, bad pelvis pain and have been told I have SI joint dysfunction in my pelvis. I feel like my lower back is fusing up, like the tin man in the wizard of Oz. My ankles also feel fused, I have very limited dorsiflexion in my feet/ankles. I’ve seen a physio and have been doing exercises for ages and there’s no improvement. I have major peroneal tendon ankle pain in both ankles. Weird tightness across the top of my buttocks. Also very tight calves. Some pins and needles in my calves and feet but this comes and goes.

i have Ehler Danlos syndrome so any pain gets put down to that. GP couldn’t be any less interested in the fact I’m in agony and really struggling. I honestly think I’m going to be in a wheelchair soon.

so recently I saw on a website you could pay and upload your raw dna file into a website to have your genome/dna mapped. So I did this and one of the boxes of “issues” that it found was that I’m 5x greater risk than a normal person of getting ankylosing spondylitis.

so I googled this and it does sound a lot like it. One of the things I have is that the pain is worse first thing in the morning and then I seem to loosen up and it improves slightly.

i am going to go and see the GP (again) after Xmas, but they usually just fib me off telling me to take painkillers and have physio. I’m really not sure how to get taken seriously. If I tell the gp about the dna gene thing he’s probably going to think I’m bonkers! I’m so fed up of going and whinging about being in pain, I’m beginning to think they think I have some sort of health anxiety (i really don’t think I do) and going and telling them I’ve had my dna mapped kind of backs that up! 🤣. I was there a few months ago with the same pain asking if it might be MS and got sent off with a flea in my ear. I just don’t think this level of pain is normal and am worried it’s more systemic than a bad back.

OP posts:
hiredandsqueak · 23/12/2024 14:37

Dd was dx with AS after being sent to the eye clinic from the opticians who she saw as her eye was painful. The eye clinic asked if she had any problems beside the eye and she reported she had hip pain. They referred her to rheumatology because the eye issue was iritis and she was subsequently dx with AS. She would have been early 20s then.

FeegleFrenzy · 23/12/2024 14:59

Thank you. Hope she’s doing ok. Apart from a week of intense eye pain a few months ago which I put down to a contact lens i haven’t had any eye issues.

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FeelingSoOverwhelmed · 28/12/2024 17:44

I got diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (which is what ankylosing spondylitis is a progression of) last year.
Fairly quick diagnosis despite my pain not being severe, as the type of back pain is very specific, I have psoriasis and had 2 episodes of iritis.
What I found helpful was doing one of the quizzes from here https://www.actonaxialspa.com/symptoms-checker/ so I could say to the GP that it fit the criteria for inflammatory pain.

Good luck - I have heard that it is a condition that can take a really long time to diagnose unfortunately.

Symptoms Checker - Act on axial SpA

Use the NASS symptom checker to help understand if your back pain could be inflammatory and potentially axial SpA or ankylosing spondylitis

https://www.actonaxialspa.com/symptoms-checker

FeegleFrenzy · 28/12/2024 17:58

@FeelingSoOverwhelmed thank you. Just done the symptom checker and it says I could have it and to see my GP. Will take a screen shot of my results.

did you have to wait for a rheumatologist referral and/or scans? Have they been able to help you more with drugs now you have a diagnosis. I’m honestly a bit desperate, I was literally screaming as I was trying to get out of bed this morning. Then after being up and about was feeling better, walked the dog, done some Pilates. Now I’m in pain again as I’ve been sat on the sofa most of the afternoon. I dread going to bed as I know I’ll be in pain.

OP posts:
FeelingSoOverwhelmed · 28/12/2024 18:06

I can't remember the exact timeline sorry!! As I actually put off seeing the GP for ages as it wasn't that painful and I just assumed it was muscular.
I had some x-rays (which were clear) and blood tests and then waited about 9 months for a rheumatology and MRI referral I think. My pain and stiffness is fairly well controlled with staying active and anti inflammatories but I need to monitor blood pressure as a result.
I hope you get some answers. I'm definitely not at a screaming in pain stage but I can't laze about on the couch for long or my back and feet/ankles stiffen up and I do still get some pain overnight.

FeegleFrenzy · 30/12/2024 17:33

Well GP agrees that it could be so that was good that he listened. He’s referred me for an mri and a blood test.

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